The present invention relates to a new and improved method of, and apparatus for, producing a blended yarn from cotton fibers and man-made fibers.
In order to obtain a fine yarn quality, it is necessary that in a cotton combing process the short cotton fibers are combed out and separated. This applies to a quality high-grade pure cotton yarn as well as to a so-called blended or combination yarn, whereby another fiber material is spun with the cotton.
Conventional blending methods are known and mill-proven, whereby the blending of cotton fibers and man-made or synthetic fibers, is effected at a blend drafting arrangement subsequent to the cotton combing process. The combed-out cotton slivers together with the carded slivers of made-made or synthetic fibers, which carded slivers are possibly guided through a passage of drawing or drawing frame passage, are thereby doubled and then drafted and brought together or combined in a drafting unit or arrangement to form a single sliver. The sliver delivered from the blend drafting unit or arrangement, which sliver now consists of cotton fibers and man-made or synthetic fibers, is usually guided through two further following drafting units or arrangements in order to obtain, in accordance with the thereby effected doubling, a good blending of the cotton fibers with the man-made or synthetic fibers, while simultaneously laying the fibers in parallel with one another.
However, it became apparent that with the known methods or processes the expenditure of machinery employed, especially of passages of drawing or drawing frame passages, is relatively high, in order to obtain a homogeneous distribution of the cotton fibers and the man-made or synthetic fibers in the sliver, all the more so since it is difficult to blend the elastic man-made or synthetic fibers with the smooth cotton fibers. However, such homogeneous distribution is essential for the following spinning process and, in end effect, for the quality of the blended yarn. Furthermore, the blending has an influence upon the hairiness, the splitting and the fiber structure of the finished yarn.